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Whether you’re WFO or WFH, these platforms will help you feel and work better
There’s overwhelming evidence of the ill effects of spending too long in a seat. Sit-stand desks, which were once thought to be a wacky work practice, are now believed to be key in helping us live longer, healthier lives.
With flexible working continuing to be the norm, more people are looking to outfit their workspace with a designated standing desk that can help them move from one posture to another throughout the day, without interrupting workflow.
So, let’s think about what you might need from a standing desk. Firstly, it’ll need a good height range, so you can accommodate everyone who might be using it, from children to adults. For taller users, the desk needs to be stable, especially at the upper limits of its height range – a lot of inferior tables will begin to wobble when raised and you begin to type or write, which is never good for productivity.
Desks will have different mechanisms to go up and down, and you need that movement to be smooth and fluid, so you can alter the height easily and quickly and transition between standing and sitting, without it affecting your work focus.
Finally, you’re going to need the desk to be workable, and that means providing enough room for laptops, workbooks, monitors, maybe some house plants, as well as some standing files or an open A4 notebook or diary, without it feeling like you’re playing a game of desktop Tetris.
We worked at all these desks for an extended period, to get an idea of how functional they were throughout the working day – whereas before we would sit at our desks and then take regular breaks to stand, while taking a call, for example, the usage was now reversed and we would stand for the majority of the time and then occasionally sit down to take a break.
We needed a desk that would be able to transition quickly, so we weren’t struggling to alter the height while also fielding a call or doing some other work task. We were also mindful of whether the sit-stand mechanism would start to lag or whether any other problems would be thrown up with extended use.
Ease of assembly was assessed, and for the basic functionality of the desktops, we applied the cup of coffee test, which looked at how likely we were to spill our obligatory morning brew and cause carnage because the desk was too cramped.
It’s recommended we alternate between sitting and standing regularly, with research suggesting you should spend one hour standing for every three hours spent sitting down.
There are a number of benefits associated with standing as opposed to sitting at a desk, particularly when it comes to your posture. Research shows incorporating standing into the working day reduces back pain caused by prolonged sitting. A study published in the British Medical Journal also noted standing desks have the ability to reduce tiredness among workers and boost productivity.
Recent research in Physiological Reviews suggests sitting at a desk for too long may contribute to a wide range of chronic diseases, including heart disease, type two diabetes, certain types of cancers and an overall shorter life expectancy.
In addition, the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin states there are seven main health benefits associated with using a standing desk, including burning calories, energy bursts, improved posture, reduced back pain, improved wrist circulation and body circulation, as well as a general mood and focus boost. Lowering blood sugar spikes is also a potential benefit. In a small study of 10 office workers it was found that their blood sugar levels lowered by 43 per cent by standing for 180 minutes, compared with sitting for the same amount of time.
In the UK, you can’t currently get a standing desk on prescription.
Sit-stand desks that operate with a motor don’t come cheap, which is why we were particularly impressed with the features of the sub-£500 FlexiSpot E8 standing desk.
From the excellent raise/lower mechanism and impressive range to easy assembly, it’s a great option. Plus, it can accommodate a variety of heights, while staying stable and supporting a range of working devices.
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